Singapore’s retail sector continued to grow in August, but at a markedly slower pace, while a chance encounter brought Prime Minister Lawrence Wong face-to-face with a former school clerk who remembered him from his childhood.
Meanwhile, an elderly personal mobility aid (PMA) user was spotted travelling along a busy Bugis road, prompting renewed concerns over active-mobility safety. Elsewhere, a lawyer showcased luxury items she bought from an auction of goods seized in Singapore’s $3 billion money laundering case.
Here are the top stories making headlines on Oct. 5.
Retail Sales Growth Slows to 0.7% in August
Singapore’s retail sales grew 0.7 per cent year-on-year in August, slowing from 1.3 per cent growth in July and 4.1 per cent in June.
The latest increase was the weakest since February, according to data from the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat).
Total retail sales were estimated at S$4.5 billion in August, with online transactions accounting for 15.7 per cent of the total. Excluding motor vehicles, parts and accessories, sales rose 1.6 per cent, improving slightly from July’s 1.3 per cent growth.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, however, retail sales fell 1 per cent in August, reversing the 0.6 per cent increase recorded in July.
Excluding motor vehicles, sales increased 0.6 per cent from the previous month.
Performance varied significantly across the 14 retail categories tracked by SingStat.
Cosmetics, toiletries and medical goods recorded the strongest year-on-year growth at 11.2 per cent, followed by computer and telecommunications equipment at 10.7 per cent and recreational goods at 4.3 per cent.
Petrol service stations recorded 3.2 per cent growth, while department stores and supermarkets and hypermarkets each rose 1.6 per cent.
Wearing apparel and footwear grew 0.7 per cent.
Motor vehicles, parts and accessories recorded the biggest decline, falling 4.6 per cent year-on-year.
Sales of watches and jewellery dropped 2.7 per cent, while food and alcohol sales fell 1.1 per cent.
F&B Sales Continue to Decline
The food and beverage sector also remained under pressure.
F&B services sales fell 1.6 per cent year-on-year in August, extending the 1.9 per cent decline recorded in July.
Total F&B sales were estimated at S$1.7 billion, with online transactions accounting for 20.6 per cent.
The decline was particularly pronounced among cafes, whose sales fell 5.3 per cent. Food courts and other eating places recorded a 4.8 per cent decline, while restaurants were down 2.1 per cent.
Fast-food outlets and food caterers were the exceptions, with sales rising 7.8 per cent and 2.9 per cent respectively.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, F&B sales actually increased 1.5 per cent in August, suggesting that the sector’s year-on-year weakness did not translate into a broad monthly decline.
PM Wong Reunites With Former School Clerk
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had a nostalgic encounter during a walkabout at Marine Terrace Market and Hawker Centre on Oct. 3.
While greeting residents alongside Senior Minister of State Goh Pei Ming, Wong was approached by Mary, 89, a former clerk at Haig Boys’ Primary School, where he studied as a child.
“Lawrence boy!” Mary called out as Wong walked past.
Wong stopped and asked for her name. When she identified herself as the school’s former clerk, he immediately recognised her.
“You were the clerk for the principal, Mr Soh, throughout, right? For a long time,” Wong told her.
The former principal, David Soh Biow Chee, served at Haig Boys’ Primary School between 1964 and 1979. Wong attended the school, where his mother also taught.
The reunion became even more personal when Mary asked Wong to send her regards to his mother.
“I’m sure she will remember you,” Wong replied.
Before Wong left the hawker centre, Mary approached him again and told him she was happy to see how far he had come.
Wong later described the encounter as a “lovely encounter”, adding that Mary remained energetic and cheerful.
The prime minister has regularly joined MPs for neighbourhood walkabouts around Singapore.
Elderly PMA User Spotted Riding Along Bugis Bus Lane
An elderly man riding a personal mobility aid along a bus lane on North Bridge Road in Bugis has prompted concerns over road safety.
The man was spotted at about 2.30pm on Sept. 29, according to Stomp.
A commuter who filmed the incident said he saw the PMA user while waiting at a bus stop near Bugis Cube. In the video, vehicles could be seen slowing down and overtaking the rider because of his relatively slow speed.
The commuter said he shared the footage out of concern for the man’s safety rather than to shame him. He also reported the incident to the Land Transport Authority’s Active Mobility Enforcement Division.
The LTA said PMAs are allowed only on footpaths, pedestrian-only paths, cycling paths and shared paths. They are not permitted on roads.
The incident comes after new PMA rules took effect on June 1.
Under the updated requirements, motorised PMAs must not travel faster than 6kmh on public paths and must meet specified size and weight requirements. Mobility scooter users below the age of 70 must also have a valid Certificate of Medical Need issued by a doctor or occupational therapist.
Between June and July, LTA enforcement officers engaged more than 100 PMA users to raise awareness of the new rules. Eight users were also caught flouting regulations during enforcement operations.
Lawyer Buys Chanel and Dior Items From Money Laundering Case Auction
A Singapore lawyer has shared her haul from an online auction featuring luxury items seized in the country’s S$3 billion money laundering case.
Debbie Brittany Lim posted an Instagram video on Sept. 30 showing six lots of Chanel and Dior items she had won.
Her purchases included two Chanel brooches, two Chanel necklaces, a Dior vanity case and a limited-edition Dior bag from the Cruise 2021 collection.
Lim said she had come across the auction while browsing online and described her purchases humorously as acquiring “a tiny piece of Singapore’s history”.
Some of the items arrived without their original packaging. Lim said the condition of the goods made them appear as though they had come directly from a police seizure.
She did not disclose how much she paid for the six lots.
The lawyer also revealed that she had tried to purchase one of the limited-edition Lady Dior bags offered at the auction but was outbid.
The sale was part of the authorities’ efforts to dispose of assets seized in connection with Singapore’s major money laundering case.
Several properties seized in the same case have also been offered through auctions. Four condominiums — two at Martin Modern and two at Wallich Residence — found buyers at an auction held on Sept. 23, while separate auctions conducted by other auction houses did not result in completed sales.
A Snapshot of Singapore’s Latest Headlines
The four stories highlight very different aspects of life in Singapore — from slowing consumer spending and changing retail patterns to road-safety enforcement, a nostalgic political encounter and the continued disposal of assets linked to one of the country’s biggest money laundering cases.
Retail sales remain in positive territory, but the sharp slowdown to 0.7 per cent in August, coupled with another monthly decline in F&B sales, points to a more uneven consumer environment. At the same time, strong growth in categories such as cosmetics, telecommunications equipment and recreational goods shows that spending has not weakened uniformly.
For PMA users, the Bugis incident also serves as a reminder that the updated active-mobility rules are intended to keep mobility devices on designated paths and away from roads shared with faster-moving vehicles.
And for Wong, the encounter with his former school clerk offered a rare personal moment during a routine community walkabout — one that connected Singapore’s current political leadership with memories from his school days.
